A Longford Legend: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$90.00 USD

A Longford Legend: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: A Longford Legend: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-18243
Price: 90.00 USD
Availability: InStock

A Collection of Irish Street Ballades

By Robert Sheldon

Grade: 4 (Medium Difficult)

Item: 00-18243

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Another outstanding composition by Robert Sheldon, A Longford Legend is destined to become a classic! It was commissioned by the Normal Community West High School Band, Normal, Illinois and is based on three poems found in a collection of Irish Street Ballades. Written in three movements, A Longford Legend is a tribute to the wonderful band literature of Grainger, Holst, and Vaughan Williams. A Longford Legend is a magnificent showpiece for every instrument in the band---a must for your next concert! This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Longford Legend: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Alfred Concert Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 276

ISBN10: 1-4706-5298-6

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-5298-2

UPC: 038081159485

SKU: 00-18243

More about this title

About the Composer: Robert Sheldon

Robert Sheldon stands among the most frequently performed composers in the wind band repertoire today. His works appear regularly on contest and concert programs internationally, and his commissions come from ensembles across the United States and beyond. Sheldon has received honors from the American School Band Director's Association, Phi Beta Mu, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, recognizing both his compositional voice and his impact on music education.

Beyond the page, Sheldon maintains an active presence as a guest conductor for All-State and Regional Honor Bands, and he regularly conducts clinics at colleges, universities, and state music education conferences. His works have been heard in some of the world's most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House to the Kennedy Center. In 2020, VanderCook College of Music awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his sustained contributions to wind band literature and music education.

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Why we love this

Sheldon writes for concert band with the harmonic richness and orchestral texture that made Grainger, Holst, and Vaughan Williams foundational figures in the repertoire, yet the piece remains accessible at Grade 4. Every section of your band has a chance to shine, which translates to genuine investment from your students and a program that showcases the full weight of your ensemble's sound.

What to expect

A Longford Legend carries the warmth and narrative pull of traditional Irish balladry transformed into symphonic language. The three movements unfold like movements through a story, each with its own character and emotional weight, grounded in melodies that linger in memory long after the final note.

Who it's for

Concert bands at Grade 4 who are ready for music that demands musicianship alongside technical competence. This score rewards ensembles with strong fundamentals in tone production, intonation, and balance, and it gives advanced younger bands or mid-level high school programs repertoire that programs as a genuine showpiece.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the melodic line across woodwind and brass sections as it passes between them; each instrument family deserves clarity without overwhelming the harmonic foundation beneath it.
Shape each of the three movements as distinct episodes rather than separate pieces; find the connective tissue in character and emotional arc so the work feels like a cohesive journey.
Give yourself and your ensemble time to internalize the Irish Street Ballad melodies before worrying about technical execution; the poetry behind the music will inform how phrase and breathe.
Pay attention to Sheldon's dynamic and articulation markings as structural signposts; they do more than color the sound, they reveal the form and intent of each section.

How to use it

This work functions as a natural anchor for a concert built around folk and multicultural themes, or as the centerpiece of a program exploring the legacy of British and Irish composers in band literature. It also stands effectively as a contest selection for Grade 4 groups with the technical security and musical maturity to meet Sheldon's expectations.

Skills your students will build

Balancing multiple melodic lines across different instrument families
Shaping lyrical phrases with attention to text-inspired phrasing
Reading and responding to nuanced dynamic and articulation markings as form indicators
Building intonation control in sustained harmonic contexts
Understanding the harmonic language of early 20th-century British wind band composition